Alamo Drafthouse NYC Workers End Victorious Strike After Winning Full Reinstatement of Fired Staffers
After nearly two months on strike, UAW Local 2179 members at NYC locations of Alamo Drafthouse, a nationwide dine-in movie theater chain, have forced parent company Sony to reverse course on its mass firings.
On Sunday, NYC Alamo United members overwhelmingly ratified a tentative agreement that restores all 70 workers who had been illegally laid off to their jobs, reinstates their stolen paid time off and sick leave, and honors each worker’s original hire date and seniority. The strike officially ends this Friday, April 18.
Alamo Drafthouse, which was acquired by Sony in June 2024, communicated its intentions to lay off 70 members at the unionized Manhattan and Brooklyn Alamo locations effective February 1. On January 31, NYC Alamo United workers voted 98.2% to authorize an unfair labor practice strike if the company went through with the layoffs.
The union tried to negotiate the reinstatement of their fired coworkers for two weeks, but when the company wouldn’t budge, Alamo United began their strike with a Valentine's Day action on February 14. After 58 days on the picket line—including demonstrations across New York City and even outside an executive's house in Darien, Connecticut—the union prevailed.
“Thank you to everyone who supported – all who donated, all who shared, all who showed up, all who boycotted,” Alamo United wrote on social media. “Together, we showed Sony and Alamo who REALLY has the power – the people, when we stand together, united.”
NYC Alamo United will continue bargaining to win their first contract. The labor group, which is still negotiating its first labor contract, will return to the bargaining table with management on Wednesday, a UAW Local 2179 representative told THR.
In the News:
Left Voice: Jobs Back: Alamo Drafthouse Workers Force Sony to Reverse Layoffs (Apr. 17)
Deadline: Alamo Drafthouse NYC Workers End Strike After Chain Offers To Reinstate Fired Staffers (Apr. 14)
The Wrap: Alamo Drafthouse Strike Ends After 58 Days, All Laid-Off Staffers Rehired (Apr. 14)
The Hollywood Reporter: Alamo Drafthouse Strike Ends After Deal Is Reached in New York (Apr. 14)